ST PETERSBURG

It’s amazing what an amped-up, blue-sky, sun-drenched getaway on top Florida beaches like Treasure Island and Clearwater Beach can do for you. Mix in world-class arts, like the acclaimed Dalí Museum, and St. Pete’s pulsing downtown nightlife, and every single moment is amplified. The Tampa Bay area has always been a prime destination for snowbirds and retirees looking to escape harsh winters and enjoy the Florida sun. For almost 100 year’s St Petersburg even branded itself as the “green bench city”, synonymous for accommodating the elderly. However, all that is changing as more millennials see Tampa Bay as a new hotspot to live. It’s true our area offer’s a wonderful blend of big city meeting tropical beach paradise, but what’s changed that’s appealing so much to the younger crowd? Over the last decade, our area has seen a burst of fantastic new businesses, restaurants, craft-breweries and artist communities springing up. These day’s it’s not uncommon to see St. Pete mentioned as one of America’s next up-and-coming hipster cities. Like San Francisco and Austin before it…

There may not be as many green benches on every block, but there sure are a lot more coffee shops… For better or worse, time’s change, cities change…

It’s not hard to believe that the New York Times named St. Petersburg, Florida one of 52 Places to Go in 2014. The city of St. Petersburg is something truly special—it has every amenity you can imagine, still with a quaint sense of community and fantastically Floridian appeal.

Downtown St. Petersburg is the city’s heart, replete with shops, restaurants, bars and attractions. The Dalí Museum is an obligatory stop, as is the Chihuly Collection of mind-blowing glasswork. While exploring, be sure to visit the Museum of Fine Arts and the Florida Holocaust Museum. Out-of-doors attractions are just as wow-inducing: Boyd Hill Nature Park is a glimpse of what St. Petersburg looked like before modern development; the observation tower at Weedon Island Preserve offers an expansive view of St. Pete’s surroundings; and Fort De Soto Park is more than just an award-winning beach—it’s an outdoor lover’s park with every dry land and watersport activity you could ask for, including outstanding beach camping.

It’s easy to get around downtown, so ditch your car and head out on foot, or sign up to Coast Bike Share to check out a bike and go for a spin around town (ay as you go options are available). But if you really want to wrap your brain around all that St. Petersburg, Florida has to offer, try a guided tour of the city. There are Segway tours, boat tours (including dolphin watching), ghost tours, photo tours and historic tours that will make you an almost-instant expert on this jewel of Tampa Bay.

When the sun goes down in St. Pete, the real fun starts. Central Avenue is home to numerous clubs and bars including Enigma, a dance club, The Mandarin Hide and Emerald Bar. On Beach Drive, The Canopy Rooftop Lounge is a hotspot for cocktails overlooking the marina, and for live music in a small and intimate setting, Jannus Live is a top choice with a constant lineup of touring bands.

How has this affected real estate?

While the true effect of the shifting demographic and city image cannot really be calculated, what is known is the desire to live in Tampa Bay is way up! Home demand is sky high and home value has risen 20-25% in just last year. Tampa was just ranked as the 2nd best real estate investment market in the US. St Petersburg is experiencing a tremendous increase in investment and new development in the area of real estate. From the renaissance of downtown, to steady property value growth experienced in the neighborhoods, to business expansions in areas such as St. Petersburg’s Gateway/Carillon area, the city offers a dynamic real estate market.